Thursday saw the opening of the new Braakland exhibition at FOMU, Surface Tension: Breaking The Plane Of The Photographic Image. Sadly I could not attend the opening, but travelled on Friday for a flying visit, just 24 hours to see the show, the sites and sample the delights Antwerp had to offer!
First stop of this whistle stop tour was at FOMU to see the show, meet one of the wonderful curators, fellow friends and collectors. The Museum certainly does not disappoint. A former warehouse, converted into a stunning exhibition venue; multiple floors, all with stunningly high ceilings that provide an inspirational backdrop to a conceptual curation. Here is a little excerpt from the press release.
The photographic image exists largely on screen or in flat two-dimensional form. As photography progresses and the synthesis between fine art practice and lens culture merge, the photographic image itself establishes itself in flux between the praxis of de-materialization and three-dimensional representation. The surface of an image is often a great starting point for considering how to liberate the photograph from its previous nominal flat state into a state of object-hood.
After our private tour, off to experience the delights of the city and what better way to start then with an Antwerpen Institution, Des Artist; a wonderful Brasserie that shares in a look and feel of many of the Parisian establishments, but with a warmth and generosity that I found, it seems to be very Antwerpen. Sampling the traditional dishes with the array of Belgian beers, it certainly was the best way to start off the evening. As the evening progressed, we sampled the delights of the city (the many extraordinarily designed bars) and enjoyed until the early hours, all intermixed with old and new friends.
A huge thank you to all at FOMU and also to Stieglitz 19 for their warmth and generosity.
A huge thank you to all at FOMU and also to Stieglitz 19 for their warmth and generosity.
